Dr. Nathan Sullivan

Dr. Sullivan has been teaching at the college level for four years and has over 13 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. He currently serves as a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer for the government, specializing in the certification and accreditation of computer systems. His academic accomplishments include earning three associate degrees, a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity, and a doctorate in Information Assurance from the University of Fairfax.

In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Sullivan holds 13 industry certifications, including CEH Master, Security+, Pentest+, Linux, AWS, and Project Management. A veteran of the U.S. military, he served for six years. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys playing strategy computer games, participating in sports, and sharing his knowledge through teaching.

David Henriksen

Mr. Henriksen is originally from Coon Rapids, Minnesota and currently resides in Clarksville, Tennessee. He served in the United States Army as a special agent criminal investigator, from June 1975 until his retirement in June 1995. During his military career, he served in a variety of assignments throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

During Mr. Henriksen’s time in the service, he earned an Associate of Applied Science from Colorado Technical College in Colorado Springs. He later went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Secondary Education and a Master of Arts in Military History.

Mr. Henriksen taught Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment U.S. History with the Cheatham County, Tennessee school system from 1999-2012. He then taught as a full time instructor with Daymar College in Clarksville, TN in the Criminal Justice, Business, and General Education programs until 2021, when he retired from full time teaching. For the last eight years, Mr. Henriksen has taught as an adjunct instructor of American History and Government with American National University.

Mr. Henriksen has three adult children, six grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and he is expecting another great-grandchild in March 2025. In his spare time, Mr. Henriksen enjoys reading, photography, and camping with his recreation vehicle and traveling throughout the United States.

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Dr. Tem Burgin

Dr. Tem Bugarin first served 30 years in the Navy with heavy experience in engineering and leadership. He is honored to be the first foreign-born in the Philippine Islands to come to America and command a US Navy Warship. After serving in the Navy, Dr. Bugarin served over 24 years as a scientist and project manager in the private sector. Simultaneously, he has taught at various universities for the last 24 years, teaching primarily statistics, mathematics, quantitative analysis, and different management and leadership courses.

Along with his naval, engineering, and educational teaching experience, Dr. Bugarin has had the honor of working with several international students in their efforts to obtain and successfully defend their doctoral degrees. He served as the Dean of graduate studies at California International Business University and the lead faculty/area chair at the University of Phoenix. In 2013, Dr. Bugarin earned the distinction of being chosen as the outstanding faculty of the year. His research interests include comparative analysis, optimized decision-making, evaluation of decision support systems and operations, statistical analysis, leadership, finance, and business. Dr. Bugarin is proud to have chaired and been the lead faculty member for 32 students who have completed their doctoral degrees.

Dr. Bugarin earned his doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in Quantitative Analysis (Statistics) in 2001 from United States International University, now known as Alliant University. He holds the following master’s degrees: Operations Research Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, Business and Public Administration from Southeastern University, Washington, D.C., and International Relations from the Navy War College/Salve Regina College in Newport, Rhode Island.

He enjoys mentoring graduate students in their efforts towards completing their graduate degrees. The opportunity to assist students in earning their life-changing degrees has been his crowning achievement and the achievement he is most satisfied with.

He was nominated for his outstanding contributions to ANU’s online classroom environment and the department, his dedication, and overall commitment to student success.

Dr. Misty Chisum

Dr. Misty Chisum in an instructor at American National University and an Executive Functions Coach. She has her doctorate in education. She is currently pursuing graduate certificates in Teaching Neurodiverse Learners with an emphasis in Autism and Executive Function.

In addition to over two decades in higher education, Dr. Chisum is certified to teach English Language Arts (ELA) for grades 5 through 12, as well Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She has done extensive work in online instruction outside of ANU, as well as dual enrollment.

Her research interests include student-instructor engagement in distance education and equity-based instruction.

She is nominated for her innovative ways of presenting material, her weekly announcements and pep talks – both of which help her students understand key concepts and stay motivated – as well as her overall supportive demeanor!

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Dr. Stephanie Denton

Dr. Stephanie Denton earns her Faculty Excellence Award, nominated by Health Sciences Program Chair, Laura Diggle, for her passion in teaching and learning. As Laura Diggle describes: “in addition to delivering her lectures as scheduled, Dr. Denton uses a mix of timely course announcements, engaging in-class activities, and consistent student outreach to ensure no student is left without the tools and support needed to be successful. She understands that her role is not limited to holding class and grading assignments. Instead, she consistently goes above and beyond by creating supplemental materials for Science Interactive, which enable her students to understand the assignments and successfully navigate even the most challenging simulations. Her dedication to ANU students and passion for teaching have an immense impact on the department as well as the departments who support us.”

Dr. Denton (Dr. D) has been in the teaching profession since 2010, while being with ANU for the past five years. She is a Chiropractic Physician by trade, however, has used her extensive educational background to engage students in the study of Medical Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Pathology. Her educational background consists of the following: Associate in Science Degree, Associate in Mortuary Science & Funeral Services, Bachelor of Life Science Degree, Master of Science Degree in Nutrition and Human Performance, and Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. Dr. Denton sold her practice when she started teaching and has not regretted the decision since! Being an educator is very rewarding and she’s happy to be a part of it. The term Doctor means “to teach” so she has dedicated herself to her students in the hopes of creating a better future for all. Her hobbies include hitting the gym daily, playing golf on weekends, and spending as much time with her hubby and fur-babies as possible.

Dr. Dominika Falsey

Dr. Dominika Falsey earns her Faculty Excellence Award, nominated by Business Programs Dean, Dr. Lyndsey Obringer, because of how much time she dedicates to her students and the business programs. As Dr. Lyndsey Obringer describes: “She is always working behind the scenes through research and training on how to improve student engagement and student success in the classroom. Her passion for teaching and industry experience shines in her online classroom and live lectures. She comes ready every day to support student success, curriculum improvements, and help our team of adjunct faculty. Dr. Falsey is a servant leader who accomplishes goals by putting students and faculty first. Everything else falls in place due to their hard work, enthusiasm, and passion.”

Dr. Falsey graduated from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing. Within 3 years of graduating from SMU, she completed her Executive Master of Business Administration from Colorado Technical University.  She then went on to earn a doctorate degree from CTU with a dissertation pertaining to motivation for online professors in higher education. After graduating from the bachelor’s program, she worked for several years as the director of sales and marketing for a Chicago-based open-MRI company leading a team of 15 sales representatives and over 100 physicians.  After switching interests in industries, Dr. Falsey took on the role of military director of admissions within the higher education industry. Her daily tasks included training and developing a team of admission advisors within the Chicago land area, traveling to US military bases to discuss the benefits of online education, and developing wounded warrior scholarship programs. Earning her doctorate degree opened doors in higher education instruction which she has been in for the past 16 years.

Dr. Falsey’s hobbies include traveling to foreign countries, learning about different cultures, reading fiction books, spending quality time with her family, and trying unique foods.  Her biggest accomplishments in life have been achieving her doctorate degree, traveling the world with her family, and buying my first home by the age of 22.

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Excellence Award of 2022

Two members of the ANU faculty — Dr. Mary Tan and Dr. Karyn Mathura-Arthur  — have been named recipients of our Semi-Annual Faculty Instructional Excellence Award of 2023. Program chairs, deans, and direct managers undergo the nomination process twice each year, seeking individuals who embody ANU’s values. Nominees must display a commitment to teaching and their students, an engaging, encouraging, active teaching approach to ensure students are intellectually stimulated, the ability to effectively communicate with students, and a positive, lasting impact on students. Earning this award is how we recognize members of the faculty who embody these ANU values.

Dr. Mary Tan (nominated by Dr. Marie-Bernard Lazare, Dean of Nursing):

Dr. Mary Tan earns her Faculty Instructional Excellence Award for her continuous and tireless dedication to teaching and positive inclination and support to the innovative goals of the institution. She brings a thoughtful and considerate approach to student success without minimizing student responsibility and accountability to the learning process. Whether it is an academic performance irregularity that arises with an undergraduate nursing student, or a student in the MBA program, Dr. Tan will find the appropriate corrective method to encourage and redirect the student.

Dr. Tan is a dedicated and hard-working employee who strives to keep pace with innovation. For her, a device like Oculus Quest 2 for simulation teaching is not meant to intimidate her, but it is rather a challenging tool that can be learned with more time to understand and practice its process. That’s exactly what she did. Dr. Tan is a valuable asset to our nursing program.

Dr. Tan’s experience is extensive and diverse – including management, and clinical and didactic teaching in undergraduate to doctoral programs. She has a proficient all-around management practitioner with an applicable background and exceptional leadership, communication, presentation, and team-building skills. Dr. Tan has more than 20 years of solid and hands-on management and teaching skills. Her familiarity with online policies and procedures and accreditation policies, both state and proprietary universities will be valuable to continued success, growth, and positive student outcomes. She holds a Master of Nursing in Education degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Health Sciences.

Dr. Karyn Mathura-Arthur (nominated by Lyndsey Obringer, Interim Dean of Business and Accounting): 

Dr. Mathura-Arthur joined American National University in 2020 looking to bring her corporate teaching and training experience to make the jump into teaching in higher education. Since starting at ANU, Dr. Mathura-Arthur has been instrumental in delivering a high-quality graduate level experience to our students. She has consistently shown her commitment to student success and supporting our students with learning strategies that fit their needs. She has used her time at ANU to teach our students the power of networking and has since hired two ANU graduates.

What started as Dr. Mathura-Arthur’s first academic teaching opportunity has led her to develop a love of the process especially at American National University. She came to the US as a foreign student from Trinidad and Tobago but ended up making it her home for the past 30 years. This experience has allowed her to relate well to both the international and American student body found at ANU.

Dr. Mathura-Arthur earned both her undergraduate degree in Communication Arts and her Doctor of Education in Innovation and Leadership from St. Thomas University. Her MBA is from the University of Phoenix completed at the campus in Vancouver, BC. Before arriving at American National University, Professor Mathura taught in corporate settings throughout the US and internationally. She currently works for a Fortune 50 organization but has been a management consultant and managed two businesses of her own. She teaches Managerial Economics, International Finance and Operations Management among other courses.

She is an Agile implementation leader with experience in Operational Excellence, Continuous Process Improvement, Business Transformation, Process Engineering, Robotics Process Automation and Organizational Change Management across multiple industries (Banking, Insurance, Healthcare, Telecom, Government, Retail etc.). Winner of numerous accolades to include a Vision Award and Caribbean Book of the Year Author for Trinidad Transcending Time: 150 Years After Cazabon’s 1857 Album of Trinidad, she currently continues to write articles on Leadership for different publications. She also published a children’s book, Trinidad Treasure Hunt.

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Excellence Award of 2022

Three members of the ANU faculty – Angela Blocker, Amber Pogacsnik, and Betty Sue Reynolds – have been named the recipients of our Semi-Annual Faculty Instructional Excellence Award of 2022. Program chairs, deans, and direct managers undergo the nomination process twice each year, seeking individuals who embody ANU’s values. Nominees must display a commitment to teaching and their students; an engaging, encouraging, active teaching approach to ensure students are intellectually stimulated; the ability to effectively communicate with students; and a positive, lasting impact on students. Earning this award is how we recognize members of the faculty who embody these ANU values.

• Angela earned her B.S. in Counseling and my M.A. in Human Services Counseling in 2015.
• She has over 8 years of experience working as a clinical medical assistant for Internal Medicine and the Department of Defense- OB/GYN in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
• In 2011 she began teaching as an adjunct instructor, transitioning to full-time teaching in 2014.
• She has two daughters with whom she enjoys spending time. She has lived in Texas, New York, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida. She currently lives in Tennessee and considers it her home. She enjoys quiet days/nights at home with a good movie.

• Amber Pogacsnik holds both a Bachelor’s (B.S.) and Master’s (M.A.) in Sociology from Middle Tennessee State University.
• Over the last three and a half years at American National University, she has taught many subjects, including Social Problems, General Sociology, and Cultural Appreciation.
• Her favorite part of teaching general education courses is being able to help students develop their sociological imaginations and think about the larger world around them. She also helps them learn how to think instead of what to think and improve their information literacy, skills that she notes are necessary to navigate and succeed in society today.

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“We are proud to have accomplished instructors teaching students at our university,” says American National University President Frank Longaker. “I am looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for Dr. Obasun in his teaching, research, and writing.”

This award is a prestigious academic recognition that has been presented to a very limited number of scientists from around the world since 2004. Dr. Obasun’s observations concerning Uber’s surge price algorithm, or customer behavior, and driver earnings raise important questions about the fairness and the transparency with the Uber system, leading to attempts of developing a strategic quality management implementation plan for Uber’s executive team.

We at American National University are honored to have such an innovative instructor at our school. He is an instructor in both our Business and Healthcare departments. In his time here at ANU, Dr. Obasun is making a big impact on our students. They say that he is very helpful and makes sure students have clarity on the material he teaches. One student noted, “I have learned and achieved a lot because of [Professor Obasun].”

Congratulations Dr. Obasun for this well-deserved recognition and thank you for all your contributions to ANU.

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Tonya Peak

Tonya’s experience teaching in the online educational environment spans over 21 years of continuous involvement. She is currently a general education instructor, teaching the online math courses, and has professional experience as a staff accountant in a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm. Initially an online education student herself, upon her graduation in 2005 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA), she decided to begin teaching them. Tonya enjoys teaching students who are seeking to achieve their education goals, regardless of previous educational experience.

Pamela Hooper

Pamela is an instructor in the information technology programs. Enjoying 19 successful years instructing and mentoring students, she strives to assist and encourage students in finding academic success. She is always engaging students in her classes by staying up to date with best practices in instructional design, information technology, and instruction.

Pamela graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory and later a Master of Information Technology from Virginia Tech. She hopes to begin doctoral studies in adult learning and higher education in the near future.

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by Beth McLeod, MS IHCM, B.S HIM, RHIA, CCS
Academic Department Chair Health Information Management

American National University promotes faculty development in a variety of ways.  Under our Global Teach™ concept, we are committed to maintaining outstanding faculty drawn from your community, nationally, and globally.  To meet this goal, we strive to ensure our faculty have a combination of technical expertise, practical experience in the field, and outstanding teaching qualities.  I recently attended a conference that complemented all of these qualities.

Each year, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) hosts the Faculty Development Institute/Assembly on Education (FDI/AOE).  This year, from July 29th-July 31st, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the conference and network with other educators across the United States.

The FDI/AOE is “the premier conference for health information and informatics educators and the primary forum for leadership in health information management (HIIM) education” (AOE, 2019).  This year’s conference included many decorated and celebrated HIM professionals, such as Nanette B. Sayles* and Patricia Schnering** (pictured with me, above).  Many companies and organizations also attended the event including Cengage, CAHIIM, AHIMA Press, AHIMA Vlab, McGraw-Hill Education, and more.

According to AHIMA, the annual FDI/AOE conference includes the following highlights: 

• Sessions on Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) accreditation preparation
• Strategies to effectively teach online courses and emerging health information topics
• Research presentations to enhance your approach to teaching and improve student outcomes
• Workforce engagement strategies to align your curriculum with the needs of the healthcare industry
• Exhibits from organizations who specialize in educational content and technology*

I hope to utilize the information that I have learned from this year’s conference and apply it to our Medical Billing and Coding Diploma and our Associate of Science in Health Information Management programs at American National University!

* Dr.Sayles's credentials include EdD, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, CHPI, CHDA, CHPS, CPHIMS, FAHIMA; she is the author of Health Information Management Technology and Introduction to Computer Systems for Health Information Technology, among many other books.
** Patricia Schnering's credentials include RHIA, CCS; she is the author of The Professional Review Guides for the RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P, and CCA certifications, and others.

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